Apostolic ChurchPost – Apostolic Church Approx 30 AD Approx 100 AD Approx 450 AD AD (1688 in England PRESENT Transition PointsMAJOR CHANGE Early Church Medieval Church Reform ation Ancient Church Medieval Church Modern Church ? Apostolic Ch Apostolic Fathers Church Councils Golden Age of Ch Fathers Completion of Augustine’s Writings Practical end of Roman Empire Council of Calcedon

Doctrinal Corrections in the Early/Apostolic Church 1. All hearers had “selective” hearing 2. Saw future on a “flat” plane 3. Did not understand the New Covenant Age Messiah Dual stages of Kingdom Continuity but distinction between Old & New covenant

Transition from Apostolic to Post Apostolic “A” ApostlesTwelve Men plus One Matthew 10:1 “ And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” 2 Corinthians 12:12 “ The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works” 1 Corinthians 15:8 “Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” Acts 14:14 “ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out,”

Results of the end of the Apostolate 1.No additions to the New Testament scriptures Corinthians 13: Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Ephesians 2: So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

2. Special gifts of the Holy Spirit which enabled men to perform the supernatural signs and wonders necessary to authenticate the Apostolic testimony are no longer possessed or exercised by men on earth today God heals, He doesn’t give the gift of healing These signs were called “signs of the Apostles” These signs seemed to fade as the New Testament Church grew Hebrews 2:1-4 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Historical evidence confirms that signs and wonders ceased after the time of the Apostles

The recognition of the New Testament canon Canon “The rule that is to be followed” Apocrypha PRESUPPOSITON: There is a GOD and He has spoken to man

What was the churches role in recognizing the canon? NOTE: The fact that the universal recognition of the NT canon took place over a period of time did not mean that the individual churches and Christians did not recognize the NT that they possessed as being the true Word of God

1.Early post-Apostolic writings indicate that the church viewed certain Apostolic writings as being equal with the Old Testament 2.Heresy forced the church to recognize the Canon of New Testament Scriptures Gnostics MarcionAD 150 MontanistAD Two early translations indicated that the church viewed certain books as authoritative. PershittaOld Latin or Italia versions 4. Muratorian fragmentmid to late 2 nd century 5. Eusebias22 books 6. Athanasius’ Easter letter, 367 AD No general church council but several local church synods did recognize all 27 books of the NT